Study Findings
According to research conducted by the University of Cambridge, users of the NHS Active 10 app, which aims to promote physical activity, showed an immediate increase in both brisk and non-brisk walking after starting to use the app. The findings were published in npj Digital Medicine.
- Activity levels initially rose but gradually declined over time.
- Even after 30 months, users who continued using the app remained more active than before.
Health Implications
A lack of physical activity is associated with various health issues, including:
- Higher rates of heart disease and stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
- Cancers
- Dementia
- Depression
- Increased risk of premature death
Approximately 4 million premature deaths annually and healthcare costs of US$27 billion are linked to physical inactivity.
Current Activity Levels in England
In England, over one-third (37%) of adults do not meet the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, which can include brisk walking. Additionally, around one in four (26%) adults engage in less than 30 minutes of activity weekly.
About the NHS Active 10 App
Launched in 2017, the NHS Active 10 app has gained popularity, with over 1.5 million downloads. It encourages brisk walking, the most common form of exercise reported by English adults. The app allows users to:
- Track their walking activity
- Receive personalized feedback
- Set goals and receive reminders
Research Methodology
The study evaluated anonymized data from over 200,000 users who utilized the app for at least one month between July 2021 and January 2024. Key demographics included:
- 75% of users were women
- The average age was 51 years, with 32% aged 60 or older
User Engagement
Upon downloading the app, users increased their brisk walking by an average of 9.0 minutes per day and non-brisk walking by 2.6 minutes. Although activity levels declined over time, after 30 months, users still walked an average of:
- 4.5 minutes more briskly per day
- 0.8 minutes more non-briskly per day
After six months, 35% of users continued using the app, and 21% remained active after a year, significantly higher than the global average of 2.8% for health and fitness apps.
Expert Insights
Dr. Dharani Yerrakalva, the study’s first author, noted that even with a decline in activity levels over time, users who continued with the app were still more active than before. Professor Simon Griffin, the senior author, emphasized the app’s success in motivating users to increase their moderate physical activity levels and suggested integrating such apps into NHS practices for personalized patient care.
User Experience
Sonali Shukla, a user of the app, shared her experience of becoming more active after using the NHS Active 10 app, highlighting how it helped her track her brisk walking and stay motivated.
The research was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council, with support from the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre.
For more information, refer to the study: Evaluation of the NHS Active 10 Walking App Intervention.